Hardwell, Other EDM Artists to Invade Madison Square Garden

Hardwell performs at the 2014 Future Music Festival in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

It seems that electronic dance music (EDM) has found a new home at Madison Square Garden. Five major electronic acts have announced special headlining shows at the iconic venue this fall, including Steve Aoki, Eric Prydz, Bassnectar and Above & Beyond. The latest DJ to confirm a show at New York’s famed arena is the world’s No. 1 DJ, Hardwell, who is set to bring his “I Am Hardwell” tour concept to North America for the first time. Surrounded by friends, fans and a film crew, the Dutch heavyweight broke the news on Tuesday via nine Jumbotrons in Time Square.

Once reserved for the likes of Paul McCartney and Britney Spears, Swedish House Mafia first helped pave the way for dance music at the Garden with their sold-out show in 2011 (the trio returned to the venue again in 2013 for their farewell tour). Armin van Buuren has also contributed to dance music’s MSG chapter, with both a solo performance and headlining tour featuring other trance acts under his belt. Ferry Corsten and Markus Schulz, who accompanied van Buuren on one of his MSG shows, noted New York’s growing importance to dance music in the U.S. in an interview with Speakeasy earlier this year.

“For the last few years, L.A. has been the epicenter of the whole EDM boom here in America, and now I really feel like New York has caught up,” Schulz said. “The whole EDM movement in the United States is like the envy of the world right now.”